Jemena has invested $15 million to replace major plant infrastructure at its Footscray East zone substation (ZSS).
The recently upgraded equipment will help maintain the reliability of power supply in the Footscray area while meeting the latest in safety standards.
The equipment replaced at Footscray East ZSS consists of High Voltage (HV) switchboards and associated circuit breakers. Jemena also implemented upgrades to security and protection and control systems at the site.
Jemena Network Assets Manager, Michael Ciavarella, said that maintaining network reliability and safety through strategic investments is central to Jemena’s focus on meeting customer requirements and planning for the future of its electricity grid.
“We work hard to ensure that our network is safe and our investments represent the most prudent possible cost to customers. This has become even more critical in recent times given the challenges currently faced with the cost of living,” Mr Ciaverlla said
“Zone substation equipment is managed on a condition-based replacement basis. The investment to replace the existing infrastructure was optimally timed to represent the best value outcome for our local customers.
“We understand that customers want electricity to be readily available when they need it. We are continually assessing our zone substation assets to ensure they are operating safely and can continue to deliver reliably for our customers in Footscray and surrounding suburbs. The next substation we will be replacing major plant equipment at is the Footscray West ZSS later this year.”
Mr Ciavarella said that utilising a condition-based replacement strategy is considered to be industry best practice.
“We regularly test and assess the condition of our major plant infrastructure to ensure we replace assets at the right time. We also review our works program for other improvements and upgrades we can opportunistically complete at the same time,” Mr Ciavarella said.
This investment will reinforce the network’s strong reliability record, which recorded a 99.99 per cent availability over the 2022/2023 summer period.
